By Diana Bowley
Bangor Daily News
MILO, Maine — Selectmen have agreed to review all the options available for police coverage in the wake of the departure of Michael Poulin, the former police chief.
Town Manager Jeff Gahagan told selectmen Tuesday that the town is basically looking at three options: contracting with the Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Department, consolidating with Brownville for police coverage, or continuing with the town’s own police force.
To fully explore all the options, the town solicited candidates for police chief and received 34 applications, which will be screened by a selection committee.
“There’s a lot of good applicants there,” Gahagan said. The field of candidates will be narrowed down and interviews will be conducted with the top five or six people, he said.
Gahagan said he would meet with Brownville Town Manager Sophia Wilson this week to discuss the possibility of consolidation. If Brownville is interested, that meeting would be followed by a work session between Milo and Brownville selectmen, he said.
Although Piscataquis County Sheriff John Goggin has submitted a proposed contract to the town for his department’s services, Selectman Robert Hussey recommended, and the board agreed, to meet with Goggin to further discuss the proposal.
Some of the town’s options may be limited because of declining revenues, according to Selectman Jerry Brown. He said he believed the town will be hurting for revenues next year because of the economy.
Once all the options have been researched, town officials plan to present them to residents for action at a special town meeting.
“It will be a very emotional thing,” Brown predicted.
Copyright 2009 Bangor Daily News